UNODC Security Council Periodic Report, January 2026
- Criminal networks in Haiti have evolved from opportunistic gang activity to structured territorial control.
- Armed gangs have consolidated into federated coalitions controlling significant parts of the country.
- These gangs engage in arms and drug trafficking, fuel smuggling, migrant exploitation, and extortion.
- Digital technologies, including drones and social media, are being integrated into gang operations.
- The Haitian State's capacity to respond is constrained by structural fragilities, resource gaps, and insecurity.
The report, covering developments between October and December 2025, provides a comprehensive assessment of the evolution of criminal networks, illicit markets, and security dynamics in Haiti from 2022 to 2025. It highlights the shift from opportunistic gang activity to structured territorial control and integration into transnational illicit markets. Armed gangs have consolidated into federated coalitions, controlling significant parts of Haiti and engaging in arms and drug trafficking, fuel smuggling, migrant exploitation, and extortion. The report also identifies starting points for national, regional, and international responses, including implementing the arms embargo, disrupting trafficking networks, strengthening state institutions, and protecting populations affected by gang violence.
How to cite
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), UNODC Security Council Periodic Report, January 2026, https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/about-unodc/haiti-report.html